


Ineffable

by MadalineGrace



Series: What's Your Emergency? [18]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Tag to 3x15 Eddie Begins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:26:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23845936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadalineGrace/pseuds/MadalineGrace
Summary: The moment he threw open the door, the situation became immediately clear. Eddie lay in a sweaty tangle of sheets, thrashing around in his panic as he gasped and clawed at his shirt. His eyes were still closed, and he didn’t look up when Buck burst in. Buck felt at once relieved and anguished. He’d experienced more than enough nightmares in his lifetime to know what his friend was going through right now. And after being crushed, alone, by thirty feet of mud and water, how could anyone blame him?Tag to 3x15 Eddie Begins
Series: What's Your Emergency? [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688359
Comments: 6
Kudos: 123





	Ineffable

**Author's Note:**

> I said I might write another tag to this episode and I wanted to so I did. This one is definitely more focused on Eddie because I absolutely love him and I know that he is not going to get enough care on the show after that incredible episode. As always, stay safe and stay well!

Bucks had been on the couch, dead asleep, when he’d heard it. The gut wrenching, almost animalistic cry of pain from the bedroom. In an instant, he was awake, scrambling to his feet and tripping over the blanket as he ran down the hall. With everything that had happened over the last eighteen hours, a sound like _that_ coming from Eddie could mean nothing good. A million thoughts raced through his mind. _Maybe the doctors were wrong. Maybe he’d been hurt worse than they’d thought. Maybe he should’ve spent the night in the hospital. Maybe…maybe…maybe…_

The moment he threw open the door, the situation became immediately clear. Eddie lay in a sweaty tangle of sheets, thrashing around in his panic as he gasped and clawed at his shirt. His eyes were still closed, and he didn’t look up when Buck burst in. Buck felt at once relieved and anguished. He’d experienced more than enough nightmares in his lifetime to know what his friend was going through right now. And after being crushed, alone, by thirty feet of mud and water, how could anyone blame him?

“Eddie?” Buck called softly, knowing full well that it wasn’t going to wake him, but trying, nonetheless. He perched lightly on the edge of the mattress and reached out a comforting, steadying hand. “Wake up, buddy. You’re safe now. I-“

The moment his fingers touched Eddie’s skin, the other man exploded into action. His eyes shot open, wide and unfocused, and he tackled Buck roughly to the floor, pinning him down with a firm hand on his chest. Buck stared up at him in shock. Although he was up and moving, it was clear that he wasn’t awake.

“Eddie-“ He tried, but a hand clamped tight over his mouth.

“Norwahl, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Eddie hissed, his eyes hard and intense. “Are you trying to give away our position? You’re gonna get yourself killed, Sergeant.” Eddie glanced over his shoulder, peeking cautiously over the side of the bed, analyzing things that only he could see, before ducking back down again. Buck had no idea how to respond, not that he even could. Suddenly, Eddie’s hands were on his head, fingers running across his face and probing his scalp with expert efficiency. “Shit, you’re concussed, aren’t you?” Eddie whispered, more to himself than to Buck.

“Eddie,” Buck kept his voice low and calm, “you need to wake up. Wherever you are, you’re not there anymore, okay? You’re here with me, with Buck.” If Eddie heard him, he gave no indication. Instead, he tapped his bare ear and muttered something about needing air support two klicks north of his last position. Then he turned back to Buck.

“Alright Ted, you just hang in there. Mills and Binder are just across that ridge. You stick with me and I’ll get you back to that gorgeous family of yours, okay? We just gotta stay low and stay quiet.” Eddie flashed his best reassuring grin and pointed off toward his dresser. Before Buck could react, Eddie was gripping him under the arms and dragging him with surprising speed out the door.

“Hey! Eddie, wait!” Buck twisted, trying to get free, while at the same time trying to keep the whole interaction quiet enough not to wake Christopher. If anything, his struggles only made Eddie hold tighter. In the pale moonlight that filtered through the curtains, he looked utterly insane.

“Come on, man, don’t fight me. I know you’re confused.” Eddie soothed. “We’ll get you to base, get that head checked, and you’ll be good as new, huh?” Buck knew that he could escape the hold if he wanted to, but not without hurting Eddie. They were both evenly matched as far as strength, but Eddie was already injured. From this angle, there no way for Buck to safely escape and pin him. As much as he hated it, the only option he way was to let it play out. Slowly, they made their way to the bathroom, Eddie’s chest heaving as he dragged Buck in a sort of crouched shuffle across the hardwood floors. By the time they made it over the threshold, his entire body was trembling, whether from the exhaustion of the day, the stress of the memory, or the exertion of dragging another man, Buck didn’t know. They had just reached the sink when Eddie suddenly cried out and fell back against the cabinet, clutching his side.

“Eddie?! Eddie, hey!” Buck managed to wriggle out from Eddie’s grasp and he shifted to kneel in front of him.

“T-Ted…shit. ‘M…h-hit…ah _damnit._ ” Eddie cursed, wheezing heavily as he pressed his hands tight around his midsection. “Th-think…vest took it.” He grimaced. If Buck thought he’d been pale earlier, he was positively grey now.

“Eddie, look at me.” Buck took his face in his hands, forcing Eddie’s eyes to meet his. “You need wake up. You’re having a nightmare. This isn’t real, okay? I’m real. Feel this?” Buck tapped his cheek firmly. “This is real. You’re not there anymore.” Eddie looked down, a single tear spilling out of his eye.

“I gotta get you…t-to the ridge. Evacs coming.” He muttered. “I promised.” When Eddie started struggling to his feet, Buck saw his opening. He grabbed him around the shoulders, effectively pinning Eddie’s arms to his sides, and pulled him to his chest before collapsing back against the tub.

“Nope, come on, buddy.”

“Stop! Get off me! LET ME GO!” Eddie snarled, fighting hard to escape, but he was spent. Buck’s arms may as well have been iron bands welded in place.

“Not a chance. You need to wake up, Eddie. WAKE UP!” Buck’s voice was firm in his ear, strong and unwavering. Eddie stiffened and Buck took that as his cue to continue. “You’re in Los Angeles. It’s 2020. You work for the LA fire department under Captain Bobby Nash. Your son, Christopher, is nine years old and sleeping in the next room. We’re in your bathroom with the _God awful_ backsplash – I mean really, Eddie, you gotta get that fixed.” At that, Eddie’s shoulders relaxed the tiniest fraction. Encouraged, Buck pressed on. “You’re here with me, Evan Buckley, a.k.a Buck, a.k.a your best friend.” The bathroom was silent for a beat. Then,

“B-Buck?” Eddie’s voice was small, hesitant, and absolute music to his ears.

“The one and only. You back with me, buddy?” Buck asked. His arms still held Eddie, but it was more of an embrace than a restraint.

“Ummm, yeah…yeah, I think so. Where’d I go?” Eddie asked uncertainly. Buck took a deep breath, a little unsure of how to respond and how much Eddie remembered.

“You had a nightmare. Completely understandable, after everything that just happened, but it hit you pretty hard.” Buck explained, somewhat vaguely.

“Must’ve been some nightmare if we ended up cuddling in the bathroom.” Eddie went for a joke, but it fell miserably flat. “Umm, how did we get here exactly?”

“Well, uh, you dragged me…”

“Shit…Norwahl.” Eddie breathed, realization dawning in his bloodshot eyes as the full force of the flashback crashed over him. Buck nodded.

“You may have said his name once or twice.” He agreed.

“I thought I was…back there…you know when I was…”

“I get it, Eds. You don’t have to say anything more right now.” Eddie took a shaky breath.

“Down there, in that well, I got to thinking about Afghanistan, about a lot of things, actually. I guess it just brought it all up and I…I…” Eddie could feel his heart pounding, his breaths catching in his chest. The memories were all years past, but they still felt as raw and fresh as the day they’d happened.

“Hey, we don’t need to get into this tonight. If you want to talk, I’m here. But you’ve been through a hell of a lot and this can wait until you’re ready. You’re hurt and you’re exhausted and maybe rehashing it now isn’t the best idea. You need to get some sleep.” Buck suggested softly, rubbing his thumb gently across Eddie’s tense forearm.

“Yeah. I think…I think sleep is good.” Eddie agreed.

“Okay, then that’s what we’ll do. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” With infinite care, Buck eased Eddie onto his feet and led him back to the bedroom. By some miracle, Christopher had managed to sleep through the entire ordeal. Eddie had always joked the kid being able to sleep through an earthquake and now Buck could see why. He pulled out a fresh set of pajamas and had Eddie change while he quickly stripped and remade the bed before finally helping him beneath the covers.

“Wait, Buck…” Eddie trailed off, look both embarrassed and afraid as his hand gripped Buck’s wrist. Without explanation, Buck understood.

“I’ll be right here in case it happens again.” He promised, flopping down gracelessly on the other side of the bed. “You are staying firmly in sunny California, buddy. I’ll make sure of it. Now go to sleep, you big goof. That kid’s gonna have me up in like three hours.” Eddie smiled, feeling genuinely relaxed for the first time since arriving home. As he finally drifted off to sleep, all he could think about was how lucky he was to have this new life here in California, and this new family.


End file.
